The Future of Virtual Reality: Head-Mounted Displays Versus Spatially Immersive Displays The head-mounted display (HMD) is the de facto display device for "true" virtual reality (VR) systems. However, walk-in spatially immersive displays (SIDs) such as CAVE and domed projection environments promise to challenge the HMD's role in VR display. This panel compares the ultimate utility of HMDs and SIDs in various VR applications. Issues include user mobility, single- and multi-user interactivity, stereoscopic viewing, applicability to augmented reality, visual quality, viewer fatigue, and sense of presence. Organizer Ed Lantz Spitz, Inc. Panelists David Bennett Alternate Realities Corporation Bertrand De La Chapelle VIRTOOLS David Zeltzer MIT Research Lab of Electronics Steve T. Bryson NASA Ames Research Center Mark T. Bolas Fakespace Roundtable: Art on the Web, the Web as Art Web-specific artwork and art sites on the Web are fostering a seamless environment in which the boundary between the artwork itself and the "space" it inhabits is vanishing. The Web offers the promise of a direct and intimate connection between artist and audience, and requires a shift in aesthetics and approaches to storytelling, narrative, and interaction. This panel explores the interface of art and art space, and the dynamic qualities of art created for the Web. Organizer Annette Weintraub City College of New York Panelists Remo Campopiano Virtual Real Estate, Inc. Nan Goggin University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign John Simon adaweb Sharleen Smith USA Networks VRML: Prelude and Future As it enables interactive 3D graphics on the World Wide Web, the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is triggering fundamental changes in accessibility, economics, mindset, and membership for the 3D graphics community. A panel of experts examines how this collaborative standards process works and where VRML is going next. Complete Panel Statements Organizer Don Brutzman Naval Postgraduate School Panelists Mark Pesce Author Gavin Bell Silicon Graphics, Inc. Andries van Dam Brown University Salim AbiEzzi Microsoft Corporation Breaking the Myth: One Picture is NOT (Always) Worth a Thousand Words We need to understand both the power and frailty of images (compared to words, for example) to be able to effectively use new visualization and computer graphics technologies in science, education, entertainment, life, and most importantly on the World Wide Web. The panel and audience discuss and debate the weaknesses of images, including the difficulty of using them to represent information clearly; the dependency of visual and information perception on past memories, experiences, beliefs, and culture; the difficulty of making effective use of color; and what could be learned from the art and design communities. Organizer Nahum D. Gershon The MITRE Corporation Panelists Robert Braham IEEE Spectrum David Fracchia Simon Fraser University Andrew Glassner Microsoft Research Barbara Mones-Hattal George Mason University Russ Rose Information Sciences Research Group Digital Stunt Doubles: Safety Through Numbers Logical precursors to computer-generated actors are digital stunt doubles, computer-generated human figures designed to stand in for human actors for visual effects that are either too dangerous, too expensive, or impractical to shoot with human doubles. In this panel, visual effects supervisors present and discuss their application of digital stunt doubles to feature film projects. Organizer Jeff Kleiser Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company Panelists Richard Chuang Pacific Data Images Jeffrey B. Light Industrial Light & Magic Frank E. Vitz Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company Shahril Ibrahim BOSS Film Studios Global Multi-User Virtual Environments Networking technology and virtual environment technology are ready to enable shared, distributed, cooperative activities. This panel addresses infrastructure, systems, and applications related to multi-user virtual environments, especially the global (intercontinental/international) aspects of these issues. Organizer Wolfgang Felger Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Panelists Lennart E. Fahlen Swedish Institute of Computer Science R. Bowen Loftin NASA Johnson Space Center and University of Houston Michael R. Macedonia Fraunhofer Center for Research in Computer Graphics, Inc. Gurminder Singh National University of Singapore

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			Panels | This Web Site

Final SIGGRAPH 96 Web site update: 25 October 1996.
For complete information on the next conference and exhibition, see: http/www.siggraph.org/s97/